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help with my iguana

gkeller16 Aug 19, 2003 10:35 AM

I have had it for about 6 months and when i got it i put it in a 30 gallon tank because it was really small and everything seemed fine.I would pick it up and play with it everyday and it never tried to whip me or bite or anything.

Well i spent at least a month building a beautiful 8 ft tall 7 foot wide cage for it and put it in and now i cant even barely open the door without it charging at me or trying to whip me.

Even when i walk past it stands up like a aggressive move and will try to whip if i get close to the screen.

Can someone please help me,i love my iguana,thats why i devoted alot of space in my room to it but it seems like the thing hates me.PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Replies (3)

sideman7 Aug 19, 2003 01:32 PM

Welcome to the world of iguanas!!! As you are now discovering, they are very territorial creatures. You have now given him (or her...) a nice big home, and he's claimed it as his own. The real question is how does the iguana behave once you get him out of the enclosure? What you are describing sounds like typical breeding season behavior, although your iguana is too young. I've had my iguana for over three years now, and although he is very friendly (except during breeding season...) his enclosure (only 5'x5'x2.5', but he is free to come and go as he pleases when I'm home) is HIS, and he gets very defensive whenever I open the door. Tons of head bobbing and posturing is standard behavior with the occasional charge just to show who's the boss. I'll rub his head a bit and then he will close his eyes and calm down and I can take him out if necessary.

I would just make sure that you keep handling him while he is small, so you don't end up with a big, aggressive beast (there is no guarantee here, but it should help). I think that you will find that he is much better behaved once you get him out of "his" space...

>>I have had it for about 6 months and when i got it i put it in a 30 gallon tank because it was really small and everything seemed fine.I would pick it up and play with it everyday and it never tried to whip me or bite or anything.
>>
>> Well i spent at least a month building a beautiful 8 ft tall 7 foot wide cage for it and put it in and now i cant even barely open the door without it charging at me or trying to whip me.
>>
>> Even when i walk past it stands up like a aggressive move and will try to whip if i get close to the screen.
>>
>> Can someone please help me,i love my iguana,thats why i devoted alot of space in my room to it but it seems like the thing hates me.PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Image

diseasedstran Aug 19, 2003 03:03 PM

Our 6 yearold is starting to do the same thing.
He's turning orange and his head never stops bobing and shaking , With his little fan out. It's so cute.
He's charging at his reflection alot in the last few days. so were going to go get him a stuffed iguana toy so he can beat up on it and make himself feel all big and powerfull.
He doesnt do this outside of his cage thank god. And were changing the walls from acrilic to a non reflective substance , it's kinda like plastic that is a bit frosted.
He's giving himself bloody lip's from hiting the side of the cage.

>>Welcome to the world of iguanas!!! As you are now discovering, they are very territorial creatures. You have now given him (or her...) a nice big home, and he's claimed it as his own. The real question is how does the iguana behave once you get him out of the enclosure? What you are describing sounds like typical breeding season behavior, although your iguana is too young. I've had my iguana for over three years now, and although he is very friendly (except during breeding season...) his enclosure (only 5'x5'x2.5', but he is free to come and go as he pleases when I'm home) is HIS, and he gets very defensive whenever I open the door. Tons of head bobbing and posturing is standard behavior with the occasional charge just to show who's the boss. I'll rub his head a bit and then he will close his eyes and calm down and I can take him out if necessary.
>>
>>I would just make sure that you keep handling him while he is small, so you don't end up with a big, aggressive beast (there is no guarantee here, but it should help). I think that you will find that he is much better behaved once you get him out of "his" space...
>>
>>
>>
>>>>I have had it for about 6 months and when i got it i put it in a 30 gallon tank because it was really small and everything seemed fine.I would pick it up and play with it everyday and it never tried to whip me or bite or anything.
>>>>
>>>> Well i spent at least a month building a beautiful 8 ft tall 7 foot wide cage for it and put it in and now i cant even barely open the door without it charging at me or trying to whip me.
>>>>
>>>> Even when i walk past it stands up like a aggressive move and will try to whip if i get close to the screen.
>>>>
>>>> Can someone please help me,i love my iguana,thats why i devoted alot of space in my room to it but it seems like the thing hates me.PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>>
>>
Image
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Seth Mason.
Do lesbian frogs think they taste like chicken too ?

Roger van Couwen Aug 19, 2003 04:01 PM

...is going on too. Almost all igs get defensive when they are relocated to strange surroundings, such as that nice new cage.

Roger

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